Politics
Anambra deputy governor, Okeke, dumps APGA for APC
Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Nkem Okeke, has dumped the All Progressives Grand Alliance and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Wednesday by Mai Mala Buni, the APC caretaker committee chairman/Yobe State governor, and Hope Uzodinma, the Imo State governor.
Okeke’s defection is coming less than a month to the November 6 governorship election in Anambra.
APGA is the ruling party in the state. And Prof Chukwuma Soludo, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is the flagbearer of APGA in the governorship election.
Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, recently alleged that members of APGA in the state House of Assembly were induced to join the APC.
The governor, who claimed some of the lawmakers were given N100 million each to defect, had said, “Any time, any day, there’s no other party in Anambra. Only APGA, there’s no APC. Those people that went to APC, they went to collect money because they saw the additional money, N100 million each, they are still APGA, they are giving us information on what is happening in APC.”
Obiano had also accused the APC and Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, of trying to destabilise Anambra.
He made the comment after Malami had said the Federal Government could declare a state of emergency in Anambra to ensure the governorship election would take place.
Politics
Gbajabiamila speaks on his rumoured Lagos governorship ambition
Gbajabiamila speaks on his rumoured Lagos governorship ambition
Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff (CoS) to President Bola Tinubu, has dismissed speculations about his potential bid for the governorship of Lagos State, stressing that his current focus remains on his duties in the presidency.
Speaking at the general assembly of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Surulere, Lagos, on Saturday, Gbajabiamila attributed the rumours to detractors attempting to undermine his political progress.
“Some people are saying he came back from America about 20 years ago. After spending three to four years, he became the principal officer to the Minority Whip, from there he became Minority Leader, then Majority Leader, and from Majority Leader, he became Speaker,” Gbajabiamila said.
He noted that some individuals see his rise in politics as a threat and believe he might return to Lagos to contest for governor.
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“They think with the way I’m progressing, it’s time to quickly drag me down so I won’t have any standing in Lagos,” he stated.
However, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives made it clear that the governorship race is not on his agenda for now.
“Please tell them it’s not yet time for governorship. There are still two and a half years left—it’s still far. God Almighty knows who will become the next governor,” Gbajabiamila noted.
Addressing the challenges of his current position, he added, “My current job as Chief of Staff is so demanding that I can’t even finish it. I don’t have the time to be thinking about governorship.”
The remarks come amid growing speculation surrounding potential contenders for the Lagos governorship seat, with names like Lagos State Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, also being mentioned.
Gbajabiamila speaks on his rumoured Lagos governorship ambition
Politics
Wike: My fallout with Secondus was his opposition to Fubara
Wike: My fallout with Secondus was his opposition to Fubara
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has shed light on his role in the removal of Uche Secondus as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking at a PDP gathering in Rivers State, Wike explained that his decision was fueled by Secondus’ opposition to Siminalayi Fubara’s governorship ambition in 2023.
According to Wike, Secondus had pushed for his cousin, Tele Ikuru, to secure the PDP ticket for the governorship position, a move Wike said he could not support. This, he revealed, was the primary reason he championed Secondus’ ouster from the party’s leadership.
Reflecting on the ongoing tensions between himself and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Wike accused Secondus and former Rivers Governor Celestine Omehia of hypocrisy. He alleged that the duo only began backing Fubara after benefiting personally from the relationship.
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Wike, who was once a close ally of Fubara, claimed that Secondus and Omehia were the true enemies of the governor, not him. He criticized their actions, arguing that their newfound loyalty to Fubara was insincere.
“I heard Secondus recently in Bori, saying I awarded the Bori Internal Road as governor. I paid 50% with the hope that we had a governor we all supported to continue the projects,” Wike said.
He continued, “Secondus claimed his enemies are the governor’s enemies. But who are the enemies of the governor? Secondus, who initially opposed him becoming governor and wanted his cousin, Tele Ikuru, to get the position?
“I orchestrated Secondus’ removal as PDP National Chairman when he tried to impose his cousin as governor. Now he calls himself the governor’s friend while labeling me the enemy. To God be the glory,” Wike declared.
Wike: My fallout with Secondus was his opposition to Fubara
Politics
APC reacts to Kwankwaso’s statement to reduce party’s votes in 2027
APC reacts to Kwankwaso’s statement to reduce party’s votes in 2027
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano state has dismissed claims by former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso that the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) will significantly reduce APC’s votes in Kano State during the 2027 elections.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Abdullahi Abass, chairman of the state chapter of the party said Kwankwaso’s assertion is laughable and nothing but a mere daydream. Abass called on Kwankwaso to focus on reclaiming his membership in the NNPP rather than making unfounded claims.
The APC described Kwankwaso as a political refugee clinging to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in a futile attempt to regain relevance. They warned Kwankwaso that the APC would not allow a repeat of the alleged vote manipulation and allocation that created the impression of NNPP’s influence in Kano State during the 2023 general election.
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“Our teeming supporters in the APC have no cause to worry about Kwankwaso, who has been booted out of the NNPP due to his cluelessness and self-centredness. We expect Kwankwaso to keep wondering why he has become a wanderer in the political terrain,” the party chair said.
“He ran away from APC because he couldn’t fit into our progressive ideals. His overbloated ego and domineering posture forced him to abandon the PDP, and he has now become a political refugee because the NNPP refused to accommodate him.”
Kwankwaso had on Wednesday received some political decampees at his residence. During the event, he claimed that the NNPP was now formidable enough to diminish APC’s influence in the state.
“If the PDP could struggle to receive 15, 000 votes in the 2023 Presidential elections in Kano, APC would not only receive below expectations but would receive the most embarrassing votes in the 2027 elections in Kano,” he stated
“NNPP achieved tremendous success in the presidential and governorship elections despite being a new political platform with a late start to its campaign. APC will be diminished in Kano in 2027,” he added.
APC reacts to Kwankwaso’s statement to reduce party’s votes in 2027
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